The 186-bed hospital in Cattaraugus County has applied to the state Department of Health for approval to convert a 15-bed swing bed unit into a geropsychiatric unit, filling a gap in care in Western New York. The project also requires approval by the State Office of Mental Health.

The plan, which requires approval by the state Department of Health, calls for spending $2.2 million to renovate the unit to provide crisis stabilization, multidimensional and diagnostic evaluation and short-term treatment.

Olean’s program would provide a 24-hour intensive program for individuals age 65 and older, with the average patient staying 10-12 days. The average patient in such programs is nearly 80, and nearly two thirds are women. Many patients in similar geropsychiatric programs also come with additional medical co-morbidities, said Dennis McCarthy, vice president for marketing and communication.

Those are among the reasons to have a geropsychiatric program in a separate and discrete unit from the general adult acute psychiatric program population to both provide appropriate clinical programming and protect seniors from younger and potentially more acutely ill psychiatric patients.

Olean isn't the only one to recognize the need: BryLin Behavioral Health System officials confirmed they are also working with the DOH to reopen a similar program, starting with a 10-bed unit. BryLin closed its geropsychiatric unit about five years ago but continues to provide geropsychiatric assessments. The 88-bed facility provides inpatient mental health services for adult and adolescent treatment. Tisha Tanyi, vice president of patient care services, said the program could open as soon as first quarter, 2018.

The closest existing program of this kind is located in Coudersport, Pennsylvania. Other sites in New York can be found at Greater Binghamton Health Center and in New York City.